Process for the production op alkali-metal cyanids



C. B JACOBS. PROCESS ma THE PRODUCTION OF ALKALI METAL CYANIDS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1916. v I 1,324, 1 19. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

INVENTOR BY ,WIZHJM vATT'K xNEY eyanids.

I ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. JACOBS, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, TO AIR REDUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALKALI-METAL CYANID S.

To all "whom it may concern) Be it known that I, CHARLES B. JACOBS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain :new and useful Imp'roi-cments in Processes for the Production of Alkah-h-letal Cyanid,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to -\\'hic h it appertains to make and use the same. y

This invention relates to processes for the production of nitrogen compounds, and with respect to its-more specific features, to a process for the production of alkali metal ()ne of the objects of the invention is the provision of a practical process by means of which may be. eflected the direct combination of free, or elementary, nitrogen with alkali metal compounds to form cyanids.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a practical process for effecting the direct combination of free nitrogen with. alkali metal compounds toformcyanids.

Other objects will be in part in part-.1. 'inte'd out hereinafter. 4

The invention accordingly consists in the several steps andthe relation and order of one or more-of such steps with relation to each of the others thereof, which will be exemplified in the hereinafter disclosed process, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims that follow. I

It is well known of free, or elementary,

obvious and that the inert character nitrogen has heretofore prevented its direct combination .with

other elements, except in meager traces, without the influence of catalytic agents,'or the electric spark, 0r silent discharge, or the electric arc. Heretoforo to effect combination of nitrogen with the alkali metals to form cyanids or intermediate compounds from which alkali cyanids may be formed, it has been necessary to use some compound of nitrogen which will break up at the reacting temperature, and furnish nitrogen in a nascent state.

By means of the present process alkali metal compounds may be effectively treated with nitrogen to produce different compounds of nitrogen, and further, metal com- Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Deci 9,1919.

Application filed December 19, 1916. Serial No. 137,809.

pounds may be preparedor' placed in such .55 chemical or physical condition as will be most suitable for treatment with nitrogen. While any of-the alkali metal compounds may be treated in- "accordance with the present process so as .to produce the related cyanids, as a practical illustration, the invention is herein disclosed in connection with the production of sodium cyanid fromthis latter furnishing a compound for sodium carbonate, cheap and 'readily available the purpose. I

In accordz'uice'ivith this invention it has been found that if an alkali compound be heated withnitrogen in the presence ofa carbidof an alkaline earth, that an interaction willtake place resulting in the pro duction of a 'cyanid of the alkali; For ex am le, if calcium .carbid be heated with the car onate or chlorid of sodium or of potassium in a dry state to the point of'fusion of 7 5 the alkali compound, and nitrogen forced therethrough, the carbonate or chlorid' is.

converted into the cyanid. The presence of free carbon in the mass at the time the nitrogen is forced there'through is very beneso ficial if not essential to the formation of the cyanid on a commercial scale'. The free carbon referred tois in excess of that normally present in-the carbid, which is not sutlieient for the purposes of the reaction.

The reaction which probably takes place may be expressed by the equations:

portions of dry alkali com can as for ex' ample the carbonate or c orid of sodium on potassium and vcarbid the alkaline earth, as for example, calcium, are heated with asuitable amount of charcoal until fusio'n'takes" place.- Nitrogenor a gas .con-

, tainingnitrogen is-then forced "through the I fused mass, preferably-under pressure-,jan

- the rbactio'njstarts. T

out 10f this apparatus the temperature brouglllit to the point where is in case the sodium carbonate .15 used isabout 1098-',C., and cgsoe the sodium l lorid is used .is about 8 O Pletfl. I I y A- precticgl illustration ofthe carrying recess in connection with the .of the proper relative of. the alkali'comFound, ismixed with a suitable amount 0 carb0nat e, 80 fioundso v ing. J approximately 85% free carbon, preferably in the -form of charcoal and placedin a retort 1- of a furnace 2. y In case the charge is to consist ofthe sodium carbonate and cont nercialcalcium oar-bid the relative amounts would be apProxim'atelylOG pounds of the th'ecarbid contain- CaC and 12 fiounds-of 'charc'oa while if the chloricl of sodium were used there .Would be required of it 118 pounds.

Theretort 1 containing the charge is then- I heated until "the charge is fused, which may bedone by gas burners 3,'in a combustion chamber 4-. The walls of thefurnaee 2 are as containing nitrogen,

preferably heat insulated. ,The temperw' ture of the'char e may cordance with the readings of a suitable be regulable in acyrometer as-indicated at 5 YVhen the mass is fused -nitrogen,--or a as for efia'mple air has been removed,

rom. which the oxygen is admitted, preferably under pressure, as

Q the used mass.

forgxample through an opehing 1n the bottor-fjofthvietert, leading from a nitrogen containing tankfi, and forced up through The pressure-may be deterin-ined by suitable gages as 8.

-- The-=-I'jeaction temperature is new maintamed as indicated on the pyrometer,wh1ch,

alkali cyanid and the other C. The nitrogen is then j iorced through the massuntll thereactionls com ustrated in the accompanying.

-dra\ vings;which is a vertical central sec- Y tion through the device, is as follows: churg'e' consisting amounts, of the, alkaline earth carbid, and,

due to the heat generated by ally-supplied until a drop in temperature as The finished charge,

ucts, togetherwith'some of the original inwhich remain un-= remov d irom'the gradients of the charge converted, may now :be

the reaction, will not require the supplying. oifmuchif furnace, as through aswingingbottom 9" of theretort, and allowed-to cool; If desired toseparate the cyanid-fr0.n 1.- the other constituents of the charge may be done byany-suitable process. 7

As many changes could bemade in caring from the scope ofithe invention it IS intended that allzmatter contained in the rying out the above process without'depart above description shall be interpreted I as illustrative and not in a limitin sense.

. It is also to be understoodt at the language'used' in the following. claims is .'in-

tended to coverall of thegeneric and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements on the 'scopeoj the invention, which, asa matter of lan guage, might'be said to falltherebetween I Having'described my inyent1on, 'what I claim as new and. desire. to secure. by Letters Patent, 'is

1. The process of producing alkali 'nietal cyanid which comprises, heating. a mixture of an alkaline earth car-bid with carbon, 1n'

excess of thatnormally'present such cars bidand an alkali metal compound and causing nitrogen to react withthe heated mass.

2. The process of producing sodium cyanid wh ch comprises, heating a mixture of calcium carbid with carbon,

sodium carbonate and causingnitrogen to react with thehea-ted mass.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES'B. JACOBS. Witnesses M. SEAMANS, v, WItnisB. Bron.

in excess of- =that normally present insuch carbrd, and 

